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Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)

By Daniel T. Daley

From The Little Black Book of Reliability Management

Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)

RCM is one of the forms of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) used to help ensure the reliability and integrity of complex systems. RCM comes in a number of shapes and sizes. It seems that individuals who are advocates of one form of RCM are dead-set opposed to the other forms.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA):

Any of a number of structured analytical techniques that identify the failure modes possiblewithin a system and link those failure modes to theresulting effects. The effects are characterized bytheir associated risk (impact times likelihood) andthe cumulative risk for the system is calculated.The objective of the analysis is to identify actionsthat will manage failure modes, resulting in areduction of the associated risk.

Depending on how the form of RCM being used is structured, it can do a few things, or it can incorporate a number of objectives into one analysis.

In the following discussion, I will try to briefly describe RCM in a general manner. I am sure that this description will not satisfy everyone, but it is a reasonable approach and includes many of the alternatives that are possible.

The analysis begins by clearly identifying a system, or a portion of the plant or asset, that will be analyzed. It is important to set clear boundaries because those boundaries are critical in identifying the included functions and in making assumptions.

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) software is used to track trends, generate statistics such as mean time between failure (MTBF), and determine the root causes of field failures (usually for products covered by a manufacturer’s warranty).

Product and component testing services is the evaluation of a finished product or component through performance in electrical, life, environmental exposure, dynamic, ergonomic or other specialized tests. Also testing to standards such as UL 489, CE or MIL-STD 810.